Airbus readies the no. 2 European Service Module for its crewed mission to the Moon

The second European Service Module’s (ESM) flight model is well into the integration test phase as Airbus readies it for the initial Orion mission with astronauts – which will fly around the Moon and return to Earth.

Performed at Airbus Defence and Space’s facility in Bremen, Germany, the ESM-2’s validations already completed include gimbal testing of the module’s main engine (which swivels from side to side for manoeuvring and directional control during spaceflight). This main engine is a refurbished engine from Space Shuttle Atlantis to power humans back to the Moon.

The ESM is Europe’s contribution to the U.S.-developed Orion spacecraft for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), providing propulsion, power, water, oxygen, and nitrogen – as well as keeping it at the right temperature and on course during flight. Orion will open a new era in space exploration, taking astronauts to the Moon and beyond.